For Valour...Your country's highest military award. Vestigia Vetustatis For Valour...Your country's highest military award. If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. 11,833 For Valour...Your country's highest military award. Hello there. I was casually reading about some Victoria Cross recipients on the web when it occurred to me I know little about the highest award for military courage of other countries. The Medal of Honor and the Iron Cross are well known but thatï¿½s about the extent of my knowledge. Audie Murphy I think was a highly decorated American soldier (aside from being an underrated actor) but Iï¿½ll leave his exploits to a fellow countryman of his. Anyways, the highest British award for military valour is the Victoria Cross. Below is some information and examples of some recipients. This list is not exhaustive!

Listing 1,000+ stories is a little ambitious so donï¿½t be offended if I missed out your grandfather or something. As TWC is a forum visited by many nations Iï¿½d love to hear about your Nationsï¿½ highest military honour. Some examples of recipients and their exploits would be enlightening, too. Oh, and please lets not descend into attacks on countries or soldiers e.g But he was responsible for the great kitten massacre of ï¿½43!!!! Ta. THE VICTORIA CROSS The VC was created by Royal Warrant on 29 January 1856, backdated to 1854 to recognise acts of valour during the Crimean War. The first award ceremony was on 26 June 1857. It is widely believed that all VCs are cast from the bronze cascabels of two cannon of Chinese origin that were captured from the Russians at the siege of Sevastopol, except during the First World War when metal from guns captured from the Chinese during the Boxer Rebellion was also used.

However, a 2006 book on the VC's history by historian John Glanfield calls the traditional account into question, arguing that it is impossible that the metal used for VCs made before 1914 really does come from the Sevastopol guns.[3] Also, the Sevastopol metal went missing between 1942 and 1945, when another source of metal was used to make five Second World War VCs. It is awarded for- "... most conspicuous bravery, or some daring or pre-eminent act of valour or self-sacrifice, or extreme devotion to duty in the presence of the enemy.ï¿½ Originally, the VC could not be awarded posthumously, and could not be awarded to Indian or African troops (although it could be awarded to their European officers). In 1905 it was made available to be awarded posthumously. Not until the 20th century was it made available to all troops in the service of the Crown (the first Indian soldier, Khudadad Khan, received it in 1914).

The largest number of VCs awarded in a single day was 24 on 16 November 1857, at the relief of Lucknow. The largest number awarded in a single action was 11 at Rorke's Drift on 22 January 1879. The largest number of Victoria Crosses awarded in a single conflict was 634 during the First World War. Since the end of the Second World War the VC has been awarded 13 times. Four were awarded during the Korean War, one in the Indonesia-Malaysia confrontation in 1965, four to Australians in the Vietnam War, two during the Falklands War in 1982, one in the Iraq War in 2004, and one in the Afghanistan War in 2006. 1,356 V.Cs have been awarded since their inception. Here are some examples of VC-winning exploits.

BRITISH Brigadier John Charles "JOCK" CAMPBELL (1894-1942) Brigadier (Acting) John Charles Campbell DSO, MC of the Royal Horse Artillery's citation reads: "On November 21st 1941, Brigadier Campbell was commanding the troops, including one regiment of tanks, in the area of Sidi Rezegh ridge and the aerodrome. His small force holding this important ground was repeatedly attacked by large numbers of tanks and infantry. Wherever the situation was most difficult and the fighting hardest he was to be seen with his forward troops, either on his feet or in his open car. In this car he carried out general reconnaissance for counter-attacks by his tanks, whose senior officers had all become casualties early in the day. Standing in his car with a blue flag, this officer personally formed up tanks under close and intense fire from all natures of enemy weapons. "On the following day the enemy attacks were intensified and again Brigadier Campbell was always in the forefront of the heaviest fighting, encouraging his troops, staging counter-attacks with his remaining tanks and personally controlling the fire of his guns. On two occasions he himself manned a gun to replace casualties.

During the final enemy attack on November 22nd he was wounded, but continued most actively in the foremost positions, controlling the fire of the batteries, which inflicted heavy losses on enemy tanks at point-blank range, and finally acted as loader to one of the guns himself. "Throughout these two days his magnificent example and his utter disregard of personal danger were an inspiration to his men and to all who saw him. His brilliant leadership was the direct cause of very heavy casualties inflicted on the enemy. In spite of his wound he refused to be evacuated and remained with his command, where his outstanding bravery and consistent determination had a marked effect in maintaining the splendid fighting spirit of those under him". Brigadier Campbell was appointed Divisional Commander in February 1942, but was killed in a car crash a few weeks later. 2nd Lt.

George Gunn (1912-1941) 2nd Lieutenant George Ward Gunn MC of the 3rd Regiment Royal Horse Artillery, citation reads: "On November 21st 1941, at Sidi Rezegh, 2nd Lt Gunn was in command of a troop of four anti-tank guns which was part of a battery of 12 guns attached to the Rifle Brigade Column. At ten o'clock a covering force of enemy tanks was engaged and driven off, but an hour later the main attack by about 60 enemy tanks developed, 2nd Lt Gunn drove from gun to gun during this period in an unarmoured vehicle encouraging his men and reorganising his dispositions as first one gun and then another were knocked out. Finally, only two guns remained in action and were subjected to very heavy fire. Immediately afterwards one of these guns was destroyed and the portee of the other was set on fire and all the crew killed or wounded except the sergeant, though the gun remained undamaged. The battery commander then arrived and began to fight the flames.

When he saw this, 2nd Lt Gunn ran to his aid through intense fire and immediately got the one remaining anti-tank gun into action on the burning portee, himself sighting it whilst the sergeant acted as loader. He continued to fight the gun, firing between 40 and 50 rounds regardless alike of the enemy fire which was by then concentrated on this one vehicle and on the flames which might at any moment have reached the ammunition with which the portee was loaded. In spite of this, 2nd Lt Gunn's shooting was so accurate at a range of about 800 yards that at least two enemy tanks were hit and set on fire and others were damaged before he fell dead, having been shot through the forehead." Rifleman John Beeley (1918-1941) Rifleman John Beeley, 1st Battalion The King's Royal Rifle Corps, citation reads: "On the 21st November 1941, during the attack at Sidi Rezegh, against a strong enemy position, the company to which Rifleman Beeley belonged was pinned down by heavy fire at point-blank range from the front and flank on the flat, open ground of the aerodrome.

All the officers but one of the company and many other ranks had either been killed or wounded. On his own initiative, and when there was no sort of cover, Rifleman Beeley got to his feet carrying a Bren gun and ran forward towards a strong enemy post. He ran thirty yards and discharged a complete magazine at the post from a range of twenty yards, killing or wounding the entire crew of the anti-tank gun. The post was silenced and Rifleman Beeley's platoon was able to advance, but Rifleman Beeley fell dead across his gun, hit in at least four places. "Rifleman Beeley went to certain death in a gallant and successful attempt to carry the day. His courage and self-sacrifice were a glorious example to his comrades and inspired them to further efforts to reach their objective, which they eventually captured, together with 100 prisoners." Major Robert Henry Cain (1909-1974) Cain appeared to have developed an intense loathing of tanks after the bitter experiences of his Battalion on Tuesday 19th, and he personally saw to it that as many were destroyed as possible. If ever armour approached then he would grab the nearest PIAT and set out to deal with it himself.

On one occasion, two Tiger tanks approached the South Staffords position, and Cain lay in wait in a slit trench while Lieutenant Ian Meikle of the Light Regiment gave him bearings from a house above him. The first tank fired at the house and killed Meikle, while the chimney collapsed and almost fell on top of Major Cain. He still held his position until it was 100 yards away, whereupon he fired at it. The tank immediately returned fire with its machinegun and wounded Cain, who took refuge in a nearby shed from where he fired another round, which exploded beneath the tank and disabled it. The crew abandoned the vehicle but all were gunned down as they bailed out. Cain fired at the second tank, but the bomb was faulty and exploded directly in front of him. It blew him off his feet and left him blind with metal fragments in his blackened face. As his men dragged him off, Cain recalls yelling like a hooligan and calling for somebody to get hold of the PIAT and deal with the tank. One of the Light Regiment's 75mm guns was brought forward and it blew the tank apart.

Half an hour later though, Cain's sight returned, and against doctor's advice he refused to stay with the wounded and declared himself fit for duty. He also refused morphia (which was in very short supply) to ease the pain he had. Instead he armed himself with another PIAT and went in search of tanks, frequently alone. Tigers continued to harass the Lonsdale Force, and upon hearing that one was in the area, Major Cain raced out to an anti-tank gun and began to drag it into position. A gunner saw him and ran over to assist, and the two men succeeded in disabling it. Cain wanted to fire another shot to make sure that it was finished off, but the gunner informed him that the blast had destroyed the gun's recoil mechanism and it could no longer fire. On Friday 22nd, his eardrums burst from his constant firing, but he continued to take on any tanks he encountered, contenting himself with merely stuffing pieces of field dressing into his ears. Nevertheless he never ceased to urge his men on, and was seen by his driver, Private Grainger, giving a man his last cigarette. Monday 25th saw very heavy fighting in the area occupied by the Lonsdale Force.

Self-propelled guns, flame thrower tanks, and infantry took great interest in Cain's position. By this time there were no more PIAT's available to the Major. Undeterred, he armed himself with a two inch mortar (which at times he was holding off the ground in an almost horizontal position because incoming Germans were so close) and added further trophies to his collection, while his brilliant leadership ensured that the South Staffords gave no ground and drove the enemy off in complete disorder. By the end of the Battle, Cain had been responsible for the destruction or disabling of six tanks, four of which were Tigers, as well as a number of self-propelled guns. As the Division was about to withdraw, some men were encouraged to shave before crossing the river, determined to leave looking like British soldiers. Robert found a razor and some water and proceeded to remove a week's growth of beard from his face, drying himself on his filthy, blood-stained Denison smock. His effort was noticed by Brigadier Hicks who remarked "Well, there's one officer, at least, who's shaved". Cain happily replied that he had been well brought up.

When the actual evacuation was taking place, Major Cain remained on the north bank until his men had departed for the other side. However when it came to his turn there didn't seem to be any boats left in operation. He and some fellow men caught sight of a damaged assault craft in the river, and they swam out to collect it. Using their rifle butts as paddles while other troopers baled out the water that was threatening to sink it, they made it across. Major Cain's conduct throughout was of the highest order, both in terms of personal actions and leadership ability, and for this he was awarded the Victoria Cross; the only man to receive this medal at Arnhem and live to tell the tale. His citation said of him "His coolness and courage under incessant fire could not be surpassed". TWICE-WINNERS There are three twice-winner VC holders; two from the medical core (Chavasse, Martin-Leake) and a New Zealander Charles Upham(Infantry).

Chavassesï¿½ story is as follows- At the battle of the Sommeï¿½ During the action, Noel was wounded by two small shell splinters in his back, despite this, he performed the deeds that were to gain him his first VC. The evening of the attack saw Noel and a party of volunteers in no-mans-land helping bring in wounded men. He got as close 25 yards (23 metres) to the German front line where he found three men. This went on all night and throughout all this, a constant rain of snipers bullets and occasional bombing swept no-mans-land. And the second time at Passchendaeleï¿½ Noel had moved his aid post forward with the attack and set it up in a captured German dug out at Setques Farm. The area was subjected to intensive German fire but he stayed put. The dugout was small and it served only as a patching up station before the wounded were sent further back Noel had been injured in the head by a shell splinter as he stood up and waved to indicate the position of his aid post. It is possible he suffered a fractured skull in this incident.

After being dressed at the Weiltje dug out, Noel returned, despite advice to stay put, to his aid post. His stretcher bearers had been busy and Noel was very busy until sundown. As night fell Noel picked up his torch and went searching the wrecked landscape for survivors. Early the following day, Noel found himself a German captive who was a medic and the two of them worked hard to treat wounded men in the impossible conditions of mud, blood and water. Noel went to the door of the dugout to call in the next man when a shell flew past him and down the stairs, killing the man who was waiting to be carried away by the Field Ambulance. Details get very confused at this point, Noel may have received another wound but he carried on. The official history of the Liverpool Scottish has it that Noel was wounded twice more in the head. One stretcher bearer had been sent to the aid post to tell Noel to return. Despite intense pain, "The Doc refused to go and told us to take another man instead".

There is no doubt that at about 3am in the morning of Thursday 2nd August, 1917, another shell entered the aid post, Noel was sitting in a chair trying to get some sleep. Everyone in the aid post was either killed or seriously wounded. Noel had received four or five wounds, the worst being a gaping abdominal wound from which he bled profusely. He managed to crawl up the stairs and out of the dug out and crawled along the (flooded, muddy) "road" until he stumbled across a dugout occupied by Lt. Charles Wray of the Loyal North Lancs Regiment who sent for help and later sent an account to his local paper. He died not much later and was awarded a second VC posthumously. GURKHAS Thirteen Victoria Crosses have been won by Gurkha regiments. Twenty-Six Victoria Crosses have been won by Gurkha Regiments. Nepali Gurkhas have won thirteen Victoria Crosses, including countless other military awards.

Heres three- Subedar Lal Bahadur Thapa (Magar) 2nd King Edward VIIï¿½s Own Gurkha Rifles Resse-es- Zouai, Tunisia, N. Africa April 1943 On the night of 5-6 April, during the silent attack on the Resse-es-Zouai, Subadar Lal Bahadur Thapa was Second-in-Command of D Companyï¿½. The garrison of the outer posts were all killed by Subadar Lal Bahadur Thapa and his men by kukri or bayonet in the first rush and the enemy then opened very heavy fire straight down the narrow enclosed pathway and steep arena sides. Subadar Lalbahadur Thapa led his men on and fought his way up the narrow gully straight through the enemyï¿½s fire, with little room to manoeuvre, in the face of intense and sustained machine-gun concentrations and the liberal us of grenades by the enemy. Next the machine-gun posts were dealt with, Subadar Lal Bahadur Thapa personally killing two men with his kukri and two more with his revolver.

This Gurkha Officer continued to fight his way up the narrow bullet-swept approaches to the crest. He and two riflemen managed to reach the crest, where Subadar Lal Bahadur Thapa then secured the whole feature and covered his companyï¿½s advance up the defile ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½.. Extract from London Gazette 5th Royal Gurkha Rifles (FF) Chin Hills, Burma (Myanmar) May 1943 ï¿½.while preparing for the attack the platoon came under heavy mortar fire but Havildar Gaje Ghale rallied them and led them forward. Approaching to close range for the well-entranced enemy, then Platoon came under withering fire and this NCO was wounded in the arm, chest and leg by an enemy hand grenade. Without pausing to attend to his serous wounds and with no heed to the intensive fire from sides, Havildar Gaje Ghale closed his men and led them to close grips with the enemy when a bitter hand to hand struggle ensued. Havildar Gaje Ghale dominated the fight by his outstanding example of dauntless courage and superb leadership.

Hurling hand grenades, covered in blood from his own neglected wounds, he led assault after assault, encouraging his platoon by shouting the Gurkhaï¿½s battle cry. Spurred on by the irresistible will of their leader to win, the platoon stormed and carried the hill by a magnificent all out effort and inflicted very heavy casualties on the Japanese. Extract from London Gazette Taungdaw, Myanmar (Burma) 12-13 May 1945 ï¿½ Before assaulting, the enemy hurled innumerable grenades at the position from close range. Once grenade fell on the lip of Rifleman Lachhiman Gurungï¿½s trench; he at once grasped it and hurled it back at the enemy. A second grenade landed in his trench. Again this Rifleman snatched to throw it back but it exploded in his hand, blowing off his finger, shattering his right arm and severely wounding him in the face body and right leg. His two comrades were also badly wounded and lay helpless in the button of the trench. The enemy, screaming and shouting, now formed up shoulder to shoulder and attempted to rush the position by sheer weight of numbers.

Rifleman Lachhiman Gurung, regardless of his wounds, fires and loaded his rifle with his left hand, maintaining a continuous and steady rate of fire. Wave after wave of fanatical attacks were thrown in by the enemy during the next four hour and all-were repulsed with heavy casualtiesï¿½ Extract from London Gazette From this Wikipedia article . THE BRONZE LION The Bronze Lion (Dutch: Bronzen Leeuw) is a Royal Dutch award, intended for servicemen who have shown extreme bravery and leadership in battle favouring The Netherlands, in some special cases it can however be awarded to Dutch or foreign civilians. It was first created in 1944 and has since been issued 1210 times. Proposals for an award are reviewed by the Dutch Board for Bravery Awards, which is part of the ministry of Defence. If awarded they are enforced by a Royal Decree. The Bronze Lion is a cross in bronze, covered by a round shield. On the front is a relief of the crowned Dutch Lion.

The cross is attached to a 37 millimetre wide ribbon, divided into nine equal vertical stripes, alternately orange and 'Nassau blue', the strips on either edge are Nassau blue. It is possible that a single person receive more then one award of the Bronze Lion. They will receive a number '2' in gold on the ribbon of the Bronze Lion. On Wednesday 31 May 2006, Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands posthumously awarded the late Major General Stanisław Sosabowski commander of the 1st (Polish) Independent Parachute Brigade the Bronze Lion for his services in Operation Market Garden in 1944.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Awarded by Finland Type Medal, two classes Eligibility Military personnel only Awarded for "For extraordinary bravery, for the achievement of extraordinarily important objectives by combat, or for especially well conducted operations." Status Still active de jure Statistics First awarded July 22, 1941 Last awarded May 7, 1945 Total awarded 197 Distinct recipients 191 The Mannerheim Cross of Liberty (Finnish: Mannerheim-risti, Swedish: Mannerheimkorset) is a Finnish military decoration introduced after the Winter War and named after Field Marshal Mannerheim. The award was introduced into the Order of the Cross of Liberty and a bearer of the cross is called a Knight of the Mannerheim Cross. While the 1st class is the 5th and the 2nd class the 9th in the order of precedence of Finnish awards, the Mannerheim Cross 2nd class has become the most distinguished military award in Finland. The Second Class of the award was instituted as the universal award for extraordinary bravery, for the achievement of extraordinarily important objectives by combat, or for especially well conducted operations.

The Cross could be awarded to any soldier of the Finnish Defence Forces, regardless of rank. The lack of a rank requirement, the emphasis on individual bravery, and the prize of 50,000 marks to each recipient attracted considerable public attention to the award during the war. The first conscript to be awarded the cross was Vilho Rï¿½ttï¿½, for destroying four enemy tanks with an anti-tank gun taken from the enemy. In 1942, the sum was equivalent of a lieutenant's annual salary. As the Mannerheim Cross was awarded most often in the 2nd class, this is usually meant when referring to the Mannerheim Cross. No special requirements differing from the Mannerheim Cross 2nd class were laid out for the Mannerheim Cross 1st class. It has been awarded only twice, to the Commander-in-Chief, Field Marshal C.G.E. Mannerheim and General of Infantry Erik Heinrichs. Mannerheim thought it was a bit odd for him to carry a decoration that was named after him, but decided to receive the Cross from President of the Republic Risto Ryti after all the previous awardees had requested him to accept it.

Mannerheim Cross Second Class has been awarded to 191 persons, all during World War II. Four persons have been awarded it twice. De jure, the decoration is still active and can be awarded to any Finnish soldier, although it is highly unlikely that this would be done during peacetime or even in a minor conflict. (Decree 550/1946 on the Order of the Cross of Liberty) Since the presidency of Martti Ahtisaari, all surviving recipients of Mannerheim Cross have been invited to the Independence Day Reception, hosted by the president. By tradition they are also the first guests to enter.

Notable Knights of the Mannerheim Cross * Aksel Airo, Lieutenant-General, Chief Quartermaster General (chief of operations at the GHQ) - (18 November 1944) * Adolf Ehrnrooth, Colonel, infantry regiment commander - (4 December 1944) * Erik Heinrichs, General of Infantry, army commander and Chief of General Staff - (31 December 1944) * Vilho Petter Nenonen, General of Artillery, Inspector of Artillery - (8 January 1945) * Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim, Field Marshal, Commander-in-Chief - (7 October 1941) * Ruben Lagus, Colonel, infantry brigade and division commander - (22 July 1941) * Karl Lennart Oesch, Lieutenant-General, Commander of the Isthmus Forces - (26 June 1944) * Paavo Talvela, Major-General, army corps commander - (3 August 1941) * Lauri Tï¿½rni, Lieutenant, infantry company commander - (9 July 1944) * Rudolf Walden,

 General of Infantry, Minister of Defense - (2 December 1944) * Hjalmar Siilasvuo, Lieutenant-General, army corps commander - (21 December 1944) * Erkki Raappana, Colonel, division commander - (3 August 1941) Twice decorated Heres some info on God: Dan daly Sergeant Major Daniel Joseph "Dan" Daly ( November 11 , 1873 ï¿½ April 27 , 1937 ) was a United States Marine and one of only 19 men (and two Marines) to receive the Medal of Honor twice for two separate acts of heroism.

(The other such Marine was Major General Smedley Butler ). Dan Daly is well remembered for his famous cry during the Battle of Belleau Wood , when, besieged, outnumbered, outgunned, and pinned down, he led his men in attack, shouting, "Come on, you sons of *****es, do you want to live forever?" Daly was born in Glen Cove, New York , on November 11 , 1873 . Hoping to participate in the Spanish-American War , he joined the Marine Corps in January 1899 . However, the war ended before he finished training. In 1900, during the Boxer Rebellion , he received his first Medal of Honor for single-handedly defending his position against repeated attacks and inflicted casualties of around 200 on the attacking Boxers. His second Medal of Honor came fifteen years later. On the night of October 24 , 1915 , he was part of a group of 35 Marines who were ambushed by a force of approximately 400 Cacos ( Haitian bandits). He led one of the three groups of men during the fight to reach a nearby fort, and was awarded the medal for his conspicuous actions.

Daly's battle cry, delivered during the fighting in the Battle of Belleau Wood , in June 1918 , came as the Marines were taking a terrific pounding on the outskirts of Lucy le Bocage at the fringe of Belleau Wood . Daly chose to order an attack, and, leaping forward, yelled to his tired men, "Come on, you sons of *****es, do you want to live forever?" (Daly was, perhaps unknowingly, quoting Friedrich der Groï¿½e who asked, on 18 June 1757 at the Battle of Kolin , "Kerls, wollt ihr denn ewig leben?") For this and other actions during the battle, Daly was awarded the Navy Cross . Daly was offered a commission on several occasions, but he always refused, on the grounds that he would rather be "an outstanding sergeant than just another officer." Statistics, military | Australian War Memorial 10 Sources: 1 Statistics of the military effort of the British Empire during the Great War, 1914-1920 (London: HMSO, 1922) 2 A. G.

Butler, Special problems and services , The official history of the Australian Army Medical Services 1914-1918, vol. 3 (Canberra: Australian War Memorial, 1943) 3 A. G. Butler, The Western Front , The official history of the Australian Army Medical Services 1914-1918, vol. 2 (Canberra: Australian War Memorial, 1940) 4 S. S. Mackenzie, The Australians at Rabaul , The official history of Australia in the war of 1914-1918, vol. 10 (Sydney: Angus and Robertson, 1938) Prisoner-of-war numbers and places where Australians were captured by the Japanese - Second World War Numbers: Twenty-two thousand Australians were captured defending Malaya, Singapore, and the Netherlands East Indies. Over 21,000 were from the Second AIF (particularly the 8th Division); 354 RAN; 373 RAAF officers; and 71 women from the Australian Army Nursing Service.

Of these, 14,792 were captured at Singapore; 2,736 on Java; 1,137 on Timor; 1,075 on Ambon; and 1,049 at Rabaul. Nearly 36% of Australian prisoners (8,031) died in captivity. Massacres of Australians occurred at Tol Plantation on New Britain (160 Australians); Parit Sulong in Malaya (110); and at Laha on Ambon (over 200). Twenty-one Australian nurses were executed on Banka Island, and an unknown number of Australians elsewhere in Malaya and in Singapore, especially at the Alexandra Hospital. Nearly 2650 Australians died on the Burma-Thailand Railway.

"[In September 1945] the largest numbers of Australians were congregated on Singapore Island and Johore (5,549); 4,830 were distributed in several camps and on a number of working parties in Thailand and remote areas of Burma; 265 were in French Indo-China; about 750 were distributed throughout the islands of the Netherlands East Indies, with the largest group (385) in Java, and in Sumatra (243); about 100 were on Ambon; two were at Macassar, seven on Bali; another 150 were at Kuching in British North Borneo. About 2,700 were distributed between Japan, Korea and Manchuria. About 200 remained on Hainan". [Wigmore, p. 633] Surrenders: 3 February 1942 - Australian forces on Ambon surrender to the Japanese 15 February 1942 - Commonwealth forces (including 8th Australian Division) on Singapore surrender to Japanese 11 March 1942 - Australian forces on Java surrender.

Sources: Peter Dennis (et al), The Oxford companion to Australian military history, (Melbourne: Oxford University Press, 1997) Lionel Wigmore, The Japanese thrust , Australia in the war of 1939-1945, vol. IV (Canberra: Australian War Memorial, 1968) British and foreign awards to Australians - Korean War Summary of British awards to Australians during the Korean War World War 2 Awards.com - Netherlands, the Netherlands, the The Dutch system of Decorations. History The present Dutch system of decorations finds its origins in the institution of the Military Order of William (Militaire Willemsorde) and the Civil Order of Merit of the Dutch Lion. (Orde der Nederlandse Leeuw). Royal Warrants instituted these orders on 30 April 1815. Both orders were the direct consequence of the establishment of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in 1815, immediately after the end of French rule under Napoleon. However, these awards were not the first awards that were presented on Dutch territory. The notion of Knighthood is a term that most people have in their imagination.

The first written account of a presentation of a Knight's Order in the Netherlands dates back to July 15th 1279. That day Count Floris V awarded a Knighthood to 12 noblemen in the Ridderzaal (Knightï¿½s Hall) in The Hague. These noblemen were awarded the Order of Saint Jacob. The decorations belonging to this title were a gilt silver necklace with shells and a medallion with the image of Saint Jacob. The Order of the Golden Fleece (Gulden Vlies) became the next award with some sort of importance. Philips de Goede instituted this award on January 10th 1430 at Brugge. These orders were reserved for noblemen. The Golden Fleece was split up after 1701 in a Spanish and an Austrian branch, respectively granted by the Spanish Monarch and the Archduke of Austria. The Order of the Golden Fleece still exists and is awarded by the Spanish Monarch, mainly to other Monarchs. Between 1568 and 1795, at the time of the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands, there were no Knight's Orders.

After all, it was customary that Knight's Orders were awarded by Monarchs and not by a Republic. In this period, it was customary to commemorate a prominent event with an Occasion Medal. In general, these were designed in gold. In 1628 the first award that was intended to reward a person's merit for the country was designed by the Dutch parliament. This award was commonly known as the Ambassadorsï¿½ Medal. The highest rank of this award became the Republicï¿½s alternative for the Knight's Orders.The Fourth English War between 1780 and 1784 reached its climax in the Battle at Doggersbank in 1781. The Dutch victory was the reason Stadhouder Willem IV designed the first medal with a ribbon, the Doggersbank Medal. It was a medal, which was suspended from an orange or a red, white and blue colored ribbon. With this ribbon, the Doggersbank Medal more or less became the example for the future series of awards. During the Batavian Republic (1795-1806) there were no major developments in the Dutch system of honours.

This changed when in 1806 Lodewijk Napoleon became King of the Netherlands. In December 1806, he instituted the Grand Order of the Union and the Order of Merit of the Kingdom of Holland. Finally, due to an intervention of his brother Napoleon Bonaparte, both Orders were combined to the Royal Order of Holland, which was renamed the Order of the Union in 1808. The Order of the Union consisted of three classes (Grand Cross, Commander and Knight) for officers and two medals (Gold and Silver) for persons of lower ranks. When Holland became part of the French Empire in 1811, the French Ordre Impï¿½rial de la Rï¿½union replaced the Order of the Union. When the son of Stadhouder Willem V was declared a sovereign Monarch on November 30th 1813, a situation of local fights between withdrawing French troops and units loyal to Orange aroused in the Netherlands. These fights formed the cause for the institution of various medals, which were later on transformed into official decorations. The fights against Napoleon in the next campaigns in northern France also gave cause to the institution of new medals.

These medals commonly bore the text ï¿½For Courage and Patriotismï¿½ (voor Moed, Beleid en Trouw) in Dutch and can be seen as the example for the Military Order of William. The Kingdom of the Netherlands under the new King, King Willem I, pretty soon wanted the institution of a Knight's Order. The Dutch army comprised 325 bearers of the French Legion dï¿½Honneur, and it was desirable that this honour would be carried further onwards. Furthermore the King wanted to have the possibility of rewarding peopleï¿½s gallantry. As such, the Military Order of William was instituted on April 30th 1815. Next to this highest Dutch decoration for bravery, the Order of the Dutch Lion was instituted. Where the Military Order of William was exclusively awarded to soldiers, the Order of the Dutch Lion was meant as a civil decoration. The Belgian fight for freedom from 1830 until 1832 was the reason for the presentation of huge numbers of the Military Order of William. Because of this, the appreciation for the award diminished.

To prevent this, a rule was taken up in the Law for the Military Order of William, which indicated that not every action of bravery automatically led towards the presentation of the Military Order of William. It was also possible to register the act of bravery as an Honorable Mention. However, these rules were ineffective. The main reason was the fact that the Honorable Mention could not be worn. To solve this, an addition was made in the form of a Crown-pin, which could be worn on the ribbon of another decoration. Furthermore various other so-called awards for bravery were instituted. As such, in 1839 the Medal for Courage and Fidelity came into being, especially meant for native soldiers of the Royal Dutch East-Indies Army (KNIL) who had been excluded from the MWO. In 1898 the silver and bronze medals were replaced by the more beautiful Cross for Courage and Fidelity in silver and bronze. In 1855 a Sable of Honor was instituted.

The recipients of this sable could wear an insignia of two crossed sables covered with the Royal Crown, on the ribbon of the Cross for Important Battle Actions (later became a new War Commemorative Cross) that was instituted in 1869. For the same Cross for Important Battle Actions the insignia of the Honorable Mention, the Crown, was designed. In the following years various Commemorative Medals were designed and instituted. They were mostly instituted in remembrance of battles or wars. An important award in this area was the Cross for Important Battle Actions; this was because the insignia of the Sable of Honor and the Honorable Mention could be worn on its ribbon. The Cross for Important Battle Actions became a standard decoration; the battles in which the recipient had participated were indicated by means of buckles with an inscription. The buckles were worn on the ribbon. However, the Cross for Important Battle Actions was discontinued during the Second World War and was finally replaced by the War Commemorative Cross (OHK) that was presented from 1944 onwards.

On April 12th 1940, inspired by the changes in warfare, the Law for the Military Order of William was amended and the Honorable Mention was abolished. However, the events on May 10th 1940 prevented the system from being changed. After the capitulation, the Dutch Government in Exile finally revised the system of honours. The Government Council decided to institute a War Decoration on May 20th 1940, and a Royal Warrant instituted the Bronze Cross (BK) on June 11th 1940. The Honorable Mention could be attached to the ribbon of the Bronze Cross. The Bronze Cross was a military medal. A commission was formed on October 8th 1940, to reward the acts of Merchant Navy personnel. This led to the institution of the Cross of Merit (KV) on February 20th 1941.The formation of the commission and the popularity of the Cross of Merit led to another change of the Law for the Military Order of William and the formation of a Commission for Military Decorations (CMO). This commission came with a complete revision, through which especially military performances were valued highly.

However, by personal intervention of Queen Wilhelmina a new system of honours was instituted in 1944. Still, the Military Order of William was the highest decoration. The Bronze Lion, that replaced the Honorable Mention, then followed the Military Order of William. The Bronze Cross was the next decoration on the list, followed by the Cross of Merit and the new Dutch Flying Cross. In this way, a series of decorations for bravery was established which could distinguish soldiers and citizens in reasonable balance. After the Second World War, the wish arose to distinguish members of the resistance. To this end, two decorations were instituted, the Resistance Cross, that was classified immediately after the Military Order of William, and the Resistance Star East Asia, which was classified directly after the Bronze Lion. The Netherlands in the Second World War The Netherlands became involved in the Second World War on May 10th 1940. That day the German Army invaded the Netherlands. After five days of fierce fighting and the bombing of the city of Rotterdam, the Dutch Army finally capitulated on May 14th 1940.

However, it was not untill May 17th 1940 that the whole of the Netherlands fell into German hands. The Dutch Government and the Royal House fled to England and formed a Government in exile in London. This was necessary because of the Dutch Overseas Territories, namely Suriname, the Dutch Antilles and the Dutch East-Indies. In January 1942 the Dutch-East Indies were invaded by Japan and the remaining Dutch forces evacuated to Australia. Dutch units fought together with the Allied troops in Europe and Asia. The Netherlands and Dutch East-Indies were finally liberated in May and August 1945. Order of precedence of Dutch decorations (the list only contain the most common decorations of the Second World War or with any connection towards the Second World War): Militaire Willems-Orde MWO

Question: Which country's highest military honour is the Order of William?
Answer: Netherlands